To the Fathers Who Suddenly Lose Wrestling Matches to Their Sons
Every father hopes to see his son surpass him. But did it have to happen so soon?
My 12-year-old son keeps challenging me to hand-to-hand combat. First, we move the coffee table and place a few pillows so that no one loses an eye or needs stitches; then we wrestle in the living room.
It wasn’t that long ago that our wrestling would have been a balancing act between me showing him the few moves I know and letting him get the occasional win so that he doesn’t lose heart. But ever since I turned 50 and he played the junior league football Super Bowl — not to mention going through puberty — things have gotten difficult.
Here’s a pro tip: If your kid wants to play fight, always set a timer. Even when they’re very young, they have a lot more energy than you. The timer lets them know that playtime is over without too much whining. We’ve used one since my son was a kindergartner. I would playfully grab him by the neck and super-slam him onto the bed. He’d bounce three feet into…
